Date:         Mon, 24 Mar 2008 20:36:06 -0500
Reply-To:     Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Max Wellhouse <dimwittedmoose@CFU.NET>
Subject:      Cold Start/haltech Update
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Troops:  The news isn't good I'm afraid.  After cleaning all the
grounds and sealing up all the potential vacuum leaks, putting in a 4
gauge wire between the starter and alternator, etc.,  the starter
spins like a banshee, but the cold start issues remain.  I took
Dennis Haynes' advice and installed a cold start valve from a  Type 4
motor(found a new one on ebay for $30) and didn't get it wired in
before the Haltech ECU has apparently crapped out.  I think I will
take one Vanagon list member's advice and wire the cold start valve
to the dash and add a horn style button where I control how much
added fuel enrichment the motor gets to help start it rather than use
the thermo time switch.  I think i can wire that push button so it's
only functional when the starter is engaged.

After a successful trip to the Quad Cities the previous weekend, last
Tuesday going to work, the tach suddenly went to zero and the van
died.  Restarting it wasn't happening, so I parked it safely and
walked back home.  Later in the day, I opened the hatch and as I had
suspected, a fuse had blown in the 3 fuse bank for the Haltech
system.  It was the 3 amp fuse for the ECU(the other two run the
system and the fuel pump) and after repeated replacings of the fuse,
it would blow each time the ignition was turned on or immediately
after starting the engine.  The red/white wire from the fuse block to
the ECU shows no resistance when disconnected from the ECU, so I have
to assume that the wire is good and the ECU is toast.  The bottom
yellow wire to that fuse post is also shared with the management 10
amp fuse, so if the yellow wire were bad, it would blow
too.  RIGHT?  I see no where on the wiring harness for the Haltech
where any chaffing or wires could be touching ground anywhere(I was
really careful that when I threaded all that in the first time).
This,  coupled with a posting I found somewhere on the net that said
the older Haltechs that exhibit cold start troubles but roll start in
those temps easily(my exact symptoms) are usually on their way
towards dying.  The cause was low/erratic voltage to the ECU
resulting in multiple re-boots during the starting cycle causing
confusion in the electronics.  I'm not an electronics guru by any
means, but it sounds logical.  It sure sounded like the engine was
starving for fuel, and maybe it was starving due to ECU problems and
not bad fuel or cold start maps.

Haltech USA in Escondido doesn't repair the older DOS units, so I'll
be either sending it to Australia for repair or buying a Windows
based E6X unit and re-wiring the whole engine again.  I just hope
they can save the old fuel and ignition maps so I don't have to go to
the dyno again and start from scratch programming all that again. If
the Vanagon will be down for a month or so waiting on that, then it's
time to do the seam rust and front  suspension rebuild I've been putting off.

Might even get a new radiator in there and get the power steering
switched back to manual. too while I'm at it..

In the mean time, I've been entrusted to driving Al Brase's 80
Westfalia to"get some miles on it".  he claims it's the 4th oldest
Vanagon Westie in the US.  It's also likely the 4 th rustiest Vanagon
still in driveable condition.  Not complaining.  It's not got a fried ECU.

DM&FS